We are requesting support for basic science graduate students, medical students, residents and postdoctoral fellows to participate in the 2nd Joint Symposium of the International and National Neurotrauma Societies to be held September 7 - 11, 2009 in Santa Barbara, California. This symposium is the primary forum for the presentation of current research on the pathophysiology and treatment of central nervous system injury (spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury). The symposium this year is being co-sponsored and organized by the International Neurotrauma Society, the National Neurotrauma Society, the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Joint Section on Neurotrauma &Critical Care. The Specific Aims of the symposium are: 1. To provide a forum for the presentation, discussion and feedback regarding the most recent findings in Neurotrauma research and to encourage interaction between junior and senior investigators in the field. 2. To encourage the participation and education of students studying in the field of Neurotrauma. 3. To expand the scope of the sessions to include global perspectives on Neurotrauma, including epidemiology, adherence to practice guidelines, resource limitations and priorities for research. This will be accomplished through the participation of a broad range of international speakers, chairs and investigators. 4. To make the meeting more relevant to clinical neurotrauma researchers and to increase the real world neurotrauma knowledge base for basic neurotrauma scientists by facilitating bidirectional translational sessions. Furthermore, this meeting will provide opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and discussion between acute clinical specialties and rehabilitative specialties, industry and academia, and investigators from developing and industrialized nations. 5. To continue to encourage the involvement and advancement of women, minority groups, and persons with disabilities in Neurotrauma research. 6. To have relevant and thought-provoking presentations by researchers not directly involved in Neurotrauma research. The program for the 2009 symposium will feature 28 plenary speakers, 54 breakout speakers, 15 oral presentations by selected student/postdoctoral abstracts, 6 poster sessions with a total of 700 posters and a student poster competition. The symposium will foster basic and translational neurotrauma research that will lead to new techniques for the treatment of patients afflicted with brain and spinal cord injury. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The direct relevance of this project to the public health rests in the exchange of new ideas and debate generated regarding advancing laboratory findings into clinical practice. Students, basic scientists, clinician scientists and practicing clinicians come together to present and discuss their latest discoveries and advancements in the filed of Neurotrauma. Particular efforts are made to actively engage students to participate and interact with leading international and national basic and clinical scientists.